Our Second Birthday.

With this issue, “The Pacific Islands Monthly” completes two years of life ; and I am glad to take this opportunity of thanking sincerely my many friends throughout the Pacific Territories, and in Australia and New Zealand, for their kindly interest, goodwill and active sup port—without which it would not have been possible to make the progress that has been recorded.

The P.I.M. was launched just as the Great Depression settled down on the world; and it went out among the Pa cific Islands residents as a stranger.

Within two years it has found thousands of readers, in the Islands, and in almost every country in the world; and in spite of the far-reaching, necessary curtail ment of advertising allocations, it has been most generously supported by ad vertisers. Encouraging, friendly letters come to us literally in such numbers that we cannot acknowledge all of them; but they are much appreciated.

This support enables us, in spite of the prevailing bad times, to carry on vigorously with the job of providing the long-neglected Pacific communities with a newspaper that may be of some use to them. The most useful development of the two years has been the growing friendship and support of the various Administrations, and of the Departments in Canberra and Wellington responsible for Islands affairs. The officials have learned that “The Pacific Islands Monthly ” is anxious to help, and will not become an irresponsibe journalistic nuisance ; so that nowadays doors which once were closed are now officially open to us, and we are able to go straight to headquarters with genuine Islands grievances. It is a privilege that we value, and will not abuse.

We are very grateful to our corre spondents and agents in the various Is lands centres, whose co-operation and interest have assisted materially in building up the P.I.M. to its present standard.

R. W. Robson.